A spinoff pitched by Neil Druckmann years ago feels like a perfect plot for Naughty Dog’s upcomingThe Last of Usmultiplayer game. The ill-fated story behind Ellie’s Cordyceps immunity during her birth would fill in some crucial backstory toThe Last of Usand work as a harrowing cooperative adventure in its own right.
There are only bits and pieces of information regarding theupcomingThe Last of Usmultiplayer title. A piece of concept art paired with a preface by Neil Druckmann at the 2022 Summer Games Fest revealed the game will be their most ambitious to date, telling its own story with new characters in a different part of the post-collapse United States than the previous games. In an early 2023 interview, Druckmann also confirmed that he will not be the creative director for the game, serving in more of a mentor role as other veteran talents within Naughty Dog take the reins.
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How The Last of Us Multiplayer Could Explore Ellie’s Origin Story
Leading speculation points to Naughty Dog’s new multiplayer title being an expanded version of theFactions multiplayer mode from the originalThe Last of Us. Other swirling rumors originating from leaked game files ofThe Last of Us 2suggest that Naughty Dog might be putting its own spin on the battle royale genre. Following Druckmann’s remarks at the Summer Games Fest, the focus on its narrative for the new standalone multiplayerspinoff has fans wondering what exactly the studio has up its sleeves.
One largely unfilled bit of backstory that could be explored with the newThe Last of Usgame is the relationship between Ellie’s parents, leading up to and including the moment that Ellie’s mother Anna gives birth.The Last of UsHBO seriesexplored that pivotal moment, showing an infected human biting Anna while she was in labor, causing Ellie’s immunity to the Cordyceps virus, but exploring the months leading up to Anna’s demise could fill in some key details about Ellie’s parentage and their ties with the Fireflies.
The Next Chapter of The Last of Us Should be a Prologue
Following in the footsteps ofstory-driven games likeIt Takes Two, Naughty Dog’s new game could lean into a more cooperative styling for its multiplayer mode in lieu of a competitive one, though the two focuses do not have to be mutually exclusive. A gripping narrative that two players experience simultaneously could be incredible, with one playing as Anna, capable despite the inherent vulnerability of being pregnant during an apocalypse, and the other as Ellie’s father, whose identity has yet to be fleshed out by Naughty Dog.
Given what information is available surrounding thenewThe Last of Usgame, it seems unlikely that a cooperative adventure is the primary route it will take. The reveal at the Summer Games Fest mentioned that the game was as big as any Naughty Dog had undertaken, and while a live-service model with dozens of concurrent players in any given instance of the game world is the leading theory, the promise from Druckmann that the title would contain a fully-fledged story indicates that co-op might play a larger role in its gameplay than some believe.
The potential forplaying as Ellie’s parents inThe Last of Usis an endearing prospect that Naughty Dog has likely already considered. With an Anna spin-off game and an animated short already having been worked on and subsequently scrapped, there is sure to be plenty of salvageable material. The lack of information on Ellie’s father is another tantalizing plot thread that yearns to be woven into a lore-expanding narrative.
There are a number of ways that Naughty Dog could go with itsstory forThe Last of Usmultiplayer game, and perhaps being completely detached from the tale told by the previous games is the way it will choose. If there is continuity between the two stories, however, a prequel featuring Ellie’s parents could be the perfect plot.
AThe Last of Usmultiplayer game is currently in development.
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